Adoption of smart cards technology into financial payment card that allow a user to purchase goods or services have become prevalent around the world. Access to the smart card technology requires a special terminal (sometimes referred to a smart card readers) which provide multi-point connections to the smart card to deliver power to the smart card chip and provide communications between terminal and the card. Smart cards contain the same data as might be found on the Magnetic Strip plus additional risk management and typically the user's personal identification number (PIN).
A security feature of smart cards is that they are able to verify the PIN directly on the smart card chip. In order to achieve this ‘offline’ PIN verification the card needs to be loaded with the PIN. The PIN is typically selected by the Issuer at issuance of the card, or carried forward from the previously issued card, and if required the user is advised of the selected PIN by the Issuer.
With several accounts or smart cards, the user may have several PINs. The number of PINs can become difficult to remember, or the user may confuse which PIN is associated with a smart card or account. It has become apparent that a method to allow the user to select and manage their card's PIN is important. Unfortunately, smart cards are technically difficult to modify, and relies on a real-time two-way communication between the smart card and the Issuer. To date the methods available to change the PIN has been either 1) the user using the Issuers automated teller machine (ATM) or an ATM operated by a partner of the Issuer, or 2) A PIN change device directly connected to the Issuers network, typically located within an Issuer facility. Thus, to change the PIN, the Issuer has to provide services and systems to support PIN change and the user needs to travel to such a device. For many users this is not possible or practical due the Issuer not providing such services or those services being located too far away for the user to use.